Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1887-09-22


Weakness.
Queer it is that human beings, like
sheep, often bear out the saying of ''Eol-
low the leader.n This thought came to
me few days since while watching test
made by friend of mine. Happening to
meet young man whom had not seen
in long while, stopped TO greet him
and indulge in a short conversation.
While we We're talking a man walked up
to show window near by, and in mo-
ment was joined by several others. 'In n
short time the entire window was sur
rounded by anxious gazers, and as there
was nothing out of common on exhibition,
both myself and my friend were amused
at the action of the crowd.
Turning to me my friend said: ''It does
seem odd that people can be attracted so
easily, but | assure you that l can give
you even better illustration than the
one we have just witnessed. There is
nothing at all the matter with the sewer
inlet over at the corner, yet if go over
and look into it intently it will be only
little while before attract crowd. Now,
just for the fun of the thing I'm going
over and look into it, and | want you to
stand here and watch the people, Ac-
cordingly he walked over to the opposite
corner, and standing in the street bent
down and looked into the sewer. Scarcely
had he fixed his gaze on the inside when
a small boy who was passing stopped and
looked around and then stepped ont into
the street and also looked into the inlet.
A street car stopped at the corner to let
off several passengers, and two of them
walked up to the inlet to look in. In less
than one minute by acsual count ten per-
sons were looking into the place, and in
two minutes the crowd had increased to
twenty-five people. In three minutes the
crowd was doubled, and after five min
utes' actual time the entire corner was
crowded with a pushing mass of human
ity, all eager to look down the sewer and
all asking questions
During this time my friend had not ut
tered word, but had continued to gaze
steadily into the inlet as though he had
dropped something down into its dark in
terrier. Then / walked across the street
to mingle with the crowd and catch any
observations that might be made. A tall,
sad looking man tapped me on the shoul-
der and asked me what the trouble was
all about. replied that / didn't know,
but scarcely had / uttered the words
when short fussy individual, who had
Just joined the crowd, kindly spoke up
and informed my sad looking inquirer
that there was child in the sewer This
information quickly spread and many ex-
carnations of pity and sympathy were
heard on all sides. Then some one con-
tradicted the rumor and said it was q val
uable dog that had fallen into the sewer.
This was promptly denied by heavily
built man, in his shirt sleeves, who
was sure he had heard the baby's voice,
but that it must be drowned by this time,
because it was so quiet Right here some
one else took up the conversation and
went on to describe how careless the
mother of child must be to allow il to
get away from her and run the risk of
meeting with such a horrible death. In
the meantime "a reserve officer made his
appearance and asked the cause of all the
trouble. Avery knowing young man took
the policeman aside and explained to him
that the crowd was all wrong. Then he
went on to tell the officer that the man at
the sewer had been counting a roll of bills
and had accidentally dropped bill of
large denomination into the sewer and was
now looking down to see if he could get q
glimpse of it,
You can readily imagine how ridiculous
this all sounded to me, and what an eff
fort it required on my part to keep from
Laughing aloud. 1 managed to restrain
myself, however, and worked my way out
of the crowd and took up q position on
the doorstep of a store near by. The
crowd meanwhile had grown to an inn
mense size, and several cars were blocked
by the people standing in the street across
the track In vain the drivers tried to get
the crowd to separate and allow the cars
to pass, but, as is generally the case. the
L. II
the more ventuTesome boys tried to climb
onto the dasher of the car to obtain a
good Ticw over the heads of the persons
in front of them. Then came regular
stream of questions from the crowd.
such as, Whats the matter?n 'How
did it happen!'' '.Who's hurts'' whats
losts'' '.Somebody got q fitp, GLOW
did he get run overs'' ssWhat is Il.
man or n womansi' why don't the
crowd keep back and give him some airg''
to which the following were some of
the answers: Don't know" ''Give it
up, Cant get near to find out" II
don't know, do you think I'm diction-
arys" and many other answers that j
have row forgotten. The policeman did
his best to disperse the crowd, or at least
keep them back. but he was powerIess.
lie threatened few Of them with arrest.
but he didn't look very stern, so they
risked his anger. Finding that he could
make no impression upon them. he wisely
withdrew and allowed them to use their
own pleasure about going He succeeded.
however, in clearing the car track, and
the several cars that had been blocked
were soon skimming up the street at q
genuine rapid transit speed.
My friend finally worked his way out of
the crowd, and /, having attracted his at
tentiCn, he joined me, and we laughed to
oHr hearts content. + imagined that
after seeing my friend withdraw the
crowd would disperse, but nothing of the
kind, The place that he left was eagerly
sought after by twenty people, and a dozen
heads pressed forward to peer into the
sewer. Some old fellow with an iron bar
had succeeded in lifting back the heavy
iron lid that fitted into the tor. of the in
let and he was lying fat on the pave
ment, face downward, anxiously scanning
the interior of the sewer. We stood
- l.